Sausage Stuffer Kit

This is a great attachment. It's just my machine struggled to cope with it!

I started learning about sausage stuffing in order to make a good andouille for jambalaya, gumbo, etc. Most decent equipment out there will run anywhere from $[...]-$[...] for a decent stuffer. Double that total and you can get a grinder as well. If you're going to make consistently large batches (25 lbs or more at a time) then you're probably going to want to invest in those.However, if you're just learning and starting out and already have a KitchenAid and the associated grinder, then the stuffing attachment for less than $10 is a no-brainer. I've used it a couple of times now and I can say that it makes high-quality sausage without a problem.I have noted a couple of negative reviews for this product. Not knowing the specifics of how those people used the product, I can note some things I learned on my own, and from a site. That is an excellent site about andouille and sausage stuffing in general (especially with a KitchenAid).1. When grinding, make sure the blade is in. I forgot to do this on my first batch and it turned the meat into paste and was impossible to get the grinder to work properly (which is why they include it).2. Make sure you keep the meat very cold. I haven't had to cool the attachments, although that might help, especially when the meat isn't the coldest.3. Use the coarse grind plate for sausage. You can the fine grind plate (for hot dogs for example), but I would recommend just using the coarse plate and running the meat through multiple times for a finer grind on your sausage. The grinder can get some tissue wrapped around the feeder and it could require some disassembly and cleaning (might take 3-5 minutes), especially with the fine grind plate. After the first grind, the mixture moves through the grinder pretty quickly anyway.4. Make sure the screw cap is tight. Meat can escape through the cap if you're not careful. It shouldn't in most cases though. If it is, this is a sign something else is probably wrong.5. I bought the KitchenAid FT Food Tray Attachment for Stand Mixers as well. It's fairly handy for larger batches and I recommend it, but it's not necessary. I ground 15 lbs the other night and it was helpful in holding the larger amounts.6. You'll see this other places, but I'll reiterate that natural casings are worth the extra (minimal) effort. There's not much to it once you've used them. Collagen is ok and are less likely to break, but natural aren't as fragile as you might think and they look and taste way better. I was a little leery of natural and bought collagen initially, but haven't used them since my first batch. I don't think I'll go back if I don't have to.I've stuffed andouille and Italian sausage both with the larger of the two stuffer attachments. If I make some breakfast sausage, I imagine the smaller one will come in handy. If you're like me and you've gotten to this point, next on your list will probably be a smoker. I haven't taken that plunge yet, but it's coming soon.Good luck and happy stuffing!

As compared to spending a hundred dollars or so on a dedicated stuffing device, this little attachment is a tremendous value. Here are a couple of my observations:(1) Be sure to apply Crisco to the stuffer before sliding the casing on - it makes it much easier to push the casing onto the stuffer.(2) keep everything ice cold - put the grinder parts, the stuffer, and the meat mix into the freezer until it is fairly stiff but not frozen. This will make stuffing work much better.(3) Slow - Kitchenaid cannot stuff faster than the grinder worm turns, which is not that fast at the recommended speed of 4. This is compounded by the very cold meat, which requires more effort to push into the grinder hole. Slow means it probably took 20 minutes to stuff 3lbs worth of sausage. Compared to what I have read a dedicated stuffer can do that is slow. Next time I might shape the meat into logs before chilling it so it will go into the grinder more rapidly.(4) To avoid air in the casing it helps to hold the filled sausage as it comes out. You can push back against the flow of meat to pack the casings more and twist the casings as the sausages reach the right length (twist each sausage in the opposite direction of the sausage before it).(5) This works better as a two person project. The kitchen aid is not flush with the counter--obviously--so I found it easier to use this with one person pushing meat into the grinder and another holding the sausages and casing.Overall this is a great addition if you already have a kitchen aid meat grinder and a very, very inexpensive introduction to making your own sausage.If you are reading this and deciding whether to make homemade sausage at all, the answer is yes, its worth it. Of course its more work than the store but now sausage tastes great, exactly as you like it, and no more "trimmings" or other mystery meat in your food.